Monday, August 21, 2017

#KOSIGN: The Game Needs @RyanDestiny

I've been holding this post in for quite some time, so bear with me. I think I was waiting on some solo music to really go in on here about this baby, but last night's BET Awards is forcing my hand. If you don't know the face above, her name is Ryan Destiny. Striking right? I know. I #KOSIGNed her on IG a while ago, but have been waiting to post here. I had fully prepared myself to do some extensive post on how much of a quadruple threat this girl is, but a greater and more important reality has emerged-so we'll hold that. As for her talent-just google her..or connect on any of her poppin social media accounts. The short of the long is, we have a real singer's singer (I mean.. baby sings DOWN-raw talent), a beauty that might just make people uncomfortable in a room, major acting chops, and a dancer- like she does it for a living.

This post isn't about all of that though...well, not directly. Last night as I somewhat watched the BET Awards via social media while attending my baby cousin's bday celebration, I realized how tired I am of the beauty standards the black entertainment community is adopting. As I began to check out the red carpet fashions- I noticed a trend. I saw the same woman a billion times over. Same lacefronts, same faces, same see through dresses, same figure 8 bodies. It really frustrated me. I mean.. we're black women. We got mad culture. Mad options..incredible features. Why are we all blending into one image? I decided at that time to see what RD decided to rock, because she's been so consistent in her fashion choices. Ryan donned the stylings of her buddy Scot Louie once again. It's not hard to make RD look good, but what intrigues me is how refreshing every choice is. Scot & Ryan have found a lane that is uniquely their's. It made me think beyond Ryan's talent..she's needed for this.. this blatant refusal to blend in.It goes without saying that Ryan is putting a familiar face on the world's stage for so many young brown girls coming up behind her. Aside from that + killing every genre of entertainment she touches (I mean this is powerful representation like I don't think we've seen), RD boldly denies the image box altogether. In a world of clones -RD is one of the few exceptions. Her brand feels mad every day girl. Not only do we need her face on our screens, but we need her whole vibe in the industry.

I can think back to when Aaliyah was alive, and how diverse the imagery was. Before her- the 90s girl groups who rocked baggy comfy clothes like Total, Xscape, TLC, even MJB. Nowadays, there is an image being pushed/promoted that is simply boring. It's sex really. Don't get me wrong, RD has sex appeal. She makes sexy realistic though. We look for beauty these days in one form, it's the bombshell IG model look or bust. We gotta respect the Ryan Destiny brand for being that refreshing additive of salt on an increasingly bland plate. We gotta respect her nerve to kill red carpets in jeans and sweats. We gotta respect her for not always over killing the contour on her beautiful brown face. We gotta respect her love for kicks.We gotta respect her and her team for the real visuals they deliver.. the fun.. the "wait what? oh! ok!" moments... the vibe! We gotta respect every time she pushed through in something that made us think twice. We stopped and looked, instead of scrolling by because it's the same image we see everywhere. We also gotta respect when she turns the sexy all the way up for a bit. A woman can do it all- we aren't one dimensional in anything we do.

Now yall know, I'm not for telling women how to adorn their bodies. Women can do whatever we wish. This post is about diversity. It's about not minimizing the black beauty experience. It's also about the fun of imagery in the industry. Stand out. Push an envelope or two. Embrace the idea that beauty doesn't fit into a box. Now, RD isn't alone. There are a few others out there who embrace their own uniqueness.. Solange stands and screams out to me when I think about this. Salute to her too. I'm blogging RD because this is a real moment of realization for me. So, stay tuned guys. You'll be seeing more of this chic as Star's second season kicks off in September just after Empire. Her EP On Ones Own is (hopefully) coming soon, and she's one of the faces of Khloe Kardashian's Good American brand. In the interim connect with her online --> @RyanDestiny. This is a #KOSIGN yall can take to the bank. Babygirl is legit in her own lane, and something tells me this is just the beginning- or as her bio on IG so simply explains.. the INTRO.

Agree 100% !! Its definitely refreshing to see her. Loves that she stays true to her. Love her vibe & style!! I'm a fan & I'll continue to pray for her being that the industry is hard & not everyone will mean her well! Great Article!!